Three years ago, I helped my friend, the chef Sam Webb, set up Babette, a street food stall at Newquay Boathouse. Webb and his team make everything from scratch and, wherever possible, using only local Cornish produce, from their hot honey (sourced from the Rescued Bee) to pitta with freshly milled flour from Cornish Golden Grains; he also grows his own produce with fellow restaurateur Matt Comley at Gannel Valley Gardens.

As you might expect, saving food waste is at the top of Webb’s agenda, which is how he came to create waste-saving pitta chips to serve with hummus. It’s a recipe I couldn’t resist, not least because they take minutes to cook. What makes Webb’s pitta chips unique is their wonderful seasoning of sumac, za’atar and sea salt just before serving.

Pitta chips

Like my cheese straw misfits, these are worth making even if you have just a little pitta leftover. Once baked or fried, they make a perfect, highly seasoned snack that could be topped with some cheese (like a dainty canape) or enjoyed by the bowlful as an alternative to tortilla chips with hummus.

Save any leftover pittas in a sealed container in the freezer until needed, splitting the pockets in half to create thinner pieces. Older, firmer pittas work fine, too, but for a lighter, less brittle chip, freeze them while they still have some bounce.

For a firmer, crunchier chip, it’s best to grill them, but fill the grill if you can, to save energy, and watch out because these chips colour quickly. For a quicker, more indulgent version, shallow fry them instead, for a more fragile and brittle chip.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Leftover pittas
Olive oil, or other neutral oil
Spices – cumin or chilli flakes, or Webb’s mix of sumac and za’atar), to taste

Split the pitta pockets in half and cut them into random triangular or rectangular shapes, similar to tortilla chips.

Heat the oven to 210C (190C fan)/410F/gas 6½. Arrange the pitta pieces directly on the oven grate and brush both sides with olive oil. Bake until they begin to crisp and colour, then flip and repeat. Season while warm and enjoy fresh.

Alternatively, shallow fry the chips. Heat 5-10mm of olive oil in a frying pan of a suitable size for the amount of pitta you have. Check the oil is hot by dropping in a crumb; if it fizzes up, it’s ready. Once hot, carefully drop the pitta pieces into the oil, fry until golden, then flip and repeat. Remove with tongs, drain on kitchen towel for a minute, then season and enjoy.